Fresh Products
The Chilean fruit and vegetable sector is the largest exporter of fresh products in the Southern Hemisphere. It represents the third most important sector of the national economy behind mining exports and cellulose and paper exports. It contributed 5% of the overall GDP in 2004 and is considered a strategic area of development for Chile as it provides not only an important source of employment but also investment.
Chile’s fruit and vegetable exports date back to the beginning of the 20th Century, but the “boom” only begun the end of the 1970’s and the beginning of the 1980’s. The “boom” has occurred due to two major factors; firstly the natural conditions and temperate climates of Chile are conducive for the production of fruit and vegetables, and secondly, due to changes made to the political strategy of Chile, a strategy which is now based on insertion and is open to external trade.
Due in part to the aforementioned advantages, the fruit and vegetable sector currently represents 8.5% of the total Chilean exports. There exist around 7,800 producers, approximately 210,000 hectares of cultivated land and 518 companies all dedicated to the exportation of fruit and vegetables to over 70 countries.
The industry infrastructure includes more than 355 high-technology refrigeration chambers, more than 100 large packing facilities and over 1,000 medium-sized packing facilities for farms and orchards.
In respect to the fruit export industry the most important species include apples, grapes, kiwifruit, pears and apricots.
Other News from the Sector
Visit by a group of Chilean vegetable companies
From the 20 - 25 of January a business delegation from the Horticultural Committee of Chile (HORTACH), consisting of representatives of the Foundation for Agrarian Innovation (FIA) and lead by the President of the National Society of Agriculture (SNA), visited various cities in Eastern Australia.
During their stay in Australia the group met with executives of the Victorian Farmers Federation, The Australian Wheat Board, Sydney Markets, NSW Farmers Association, Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and Horticulture Australia. At a governmental level the delegation was received by the Minister for Agriculture and other important members of the Agricultural Department, members of the CSIRO Plant Industry and the Executive Director of the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics (ABARE).
For more information in regards to this visit please click here (in Spanish only).